The present invention relates to auxiliary power units (APU) and water recovery systems. In particular, the present invention relates to Stirling engine systems configured to function as APUs and water recovery systems.
Military personnel serving in remote desert environments consume up to 20 gallons of water per day. Supplying such personnel with water involves complex logistics, particularly in emergency situations. One potential technique for providing water to military personnel involves condensing water vapor from the exhaust gases of military vehicles. Fuel combustion in an internal combustion engine produces water vapor, which is expelled with the other exhaust gases. The water vapor is condensed with the use of a portable condenser that is connected to the exhaust pipe of the military vehicle. The condensed water is filtered to remove hazardous contaminants, and may then be used as drinking water.
While portable condensers are suitable for condensing water vapor, such units require electrical power. In the remote environments, electrical power is another necessary resource that is scarce. Electrical power is typically provided with APUs, and is required to power electronic military equipment such as surveillance, illumination, and communication equipment. As such, there is a need for a system that is configured to provide water and electrical power for applications in remote hostile environments.